A number of Saginaw Rescue Mission employees attended the funeral this morning for a beloved former client and volunteer of the mission, Chuck Donley. Chuck was a severe alcoholic when he came to the mission years ago; but the Lord redeemed him, set him free from substance abuse, and used Chuck in the ministry until he was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. The pastor read Psalm 116 and focused his message on verse 15: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." He reminded us that saints are not those that have been canonized by a church or received that status because of their good works, but are those the Lord has regenerated and given the faith to trust Jesus alone for their salvation. Why is the death of saints precious in the sight of the Lord? It is the redemption process completed in each saint. I just thought of I Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." Christ died for us so He could bring us into the presence of the Holy One to enjoy Him forever. My soul rejoices at the thought!
Ashlea just had to call this morning to tell me that she was the first woman in her Greek class given the opportunity to translate a Bible passage orally. That's pretty exciting stuff for her, and we're glad (we just smile and nod). She said knowing Greek opens up a whole new world to her. It will be interesting to see how the Lord will use that in her life as time goes on.
It's about two weeks until sugar production begins, and Joel is definitely feeling pressure to have all the equipment ready to go. The right preparation can really impact the efficiency of the plant for the entire season, so we pray for wisdom for him in that area.
I'm trying to make my way through the first Harry Potter book - it's slow going. I'm usually not a "pleaser" (just ask my family), but I am doing this to appease Ashlea. And, I'm listening to The Fellowship of the Ring on CD as I spend an hour on the road each work day. Tyler says I'm cheating, but I wasn't very successful with my reading attempt. Honestly, neither story is gripping me, so I'll be glad to get back to my regular reading fare. There are two types of people in this world...those who love fantasy, and those who just don't get it. I know I can't be the only one!
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